Conferences >> Leadership 2011
CEPO Leadership August 2011 Curriculum
Local Government Clerk certification sessions are designated (A, B, C).
Those attending as Accelerated Leadership Development Series participants are encouraged to consult their supervisors and/or mentors for advice on session selections that will most support their professional development.
Session numbers are designated by Round. Session availability by year is designated after each session title (with the exception of Round 1). Sessions designated as Open to all years can be found at the beginning of each respective round.
Round One (Monday 4 hours 9 am – 1 pm)
101 – 1st Year: Learning and Leadership: Wisdom and Compassion
(A 2 hours / B 2 hours)
In this session you will gain self knowledge, understanding about adult leadership and the CEPO model, and learning how to learn (wisdom). You will also gain more understanding about how to relate to others (compassion: Interpersonal Influence Inventory, “I-3”). We will use “Beyond Bravery: the Courage to Lead,” the leader development model by Dr. David G. Jones. Refer to the model description in the Conference section of the website: www.cepoweb.com.
Trainers: David Jones, Pamela Miller
102 – 2nd Year: Leadership of Others: Compassion and Faith
(A 2 hours / B 2 hours)
This session will build on your leadership learnings from the first year. You will gain more insight and skills in communicating with and influencing others in productive working relations (compassion). You will also deepen your awareness of your core values and purpose in life (faith), which will enable you to better align your own values with those of your organization for more effective leadership capacity.
Trainers: Stacey McLaughlin, Tim Pagano
103 – 3rd Year: Leading with Intuition: Faith and Courage
(A 2 hours / B 2 hours)
It is important when leading with faith and courage that you know how to access and utilize information from multiple sources in addition to factual data. In this session, you will discover the relationship among intuition, faith and courage. You will increase your awareness of the role of the subconscious and the importance of accessing it for effective problem-solving, conflict resolution and resolving issues. You will discover the degree to which you may already rely on intuition. And, you will learn, explore, and practice ways to strengthen your ability to access intuition to enhance your influence as a leader.
Trainer: Wandzia Rose
104 – Graduate: Leaders and Continuous Learning: the Personal Power Tracks (A 2 hours / B 2 hours)
Being a Graduate student, you are obviously committed to your ongoing learning and this session builds on that commitment. One of the most important ingredients in leadership today is learning. Leaders who quit learning can only lead from arrogance. The world is rapidly changing and leaders who do not learn are soon out of date. You will learn to use the personal power tracks as a way to aid your continuous learning as a true leader.
Trainer: Maureen Kane
Round Two (Monday 4 hours 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
201 - Working With and Understanding Your Elected Officials and City Manager/County Administrator (A) Open to all years
We often wonder why in the world did our City Manager or County Administrator make that decision, or what was that Council Member or Board Member thinking when they voted that way? Values differ in each organization - from the individual to collective to full organizational level. In this session, you will increase your understanding of the different roles assumed by administrative and elected officials, and increase your understanding of the values that can drive their decision-making. To better lay the foundation for these models, you will also practice problem solving from different roles and values perspectives, using your own case studies. This session is based on the political values model of Dr. John Nalbandian.
Trainers: Kevin Duggan, Maureen Kane
202 - Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Budget Turmoil (A)
Open to all years
When budgets must be balanced with extensive cuts, future reductions are likely, and employees are frightened about their future, strong and effective leaders are most needed. This session will look at a successful budgeting model that constructively addresses budget reductions with community priorities and addresses employee needs. This course will help you be a leader who fosters optimism in an uncertain world. This will not be a gripe session!
Trainers: Wandzia Rose, Lorie Tinfow
203 - Leadership and Emotional Intelligence: Understanding Yourself and Others (B) Open to all years
It is not always necessary for effective leaders to have a high IQ. However, it is necessary for all leaders to have a high EQ. Great leaders have successfully developed their Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in such a way that they are able to understand themselves and others in a deep and meaningful way (feelings, emotions, triggers, and responses). Building and leading a strong organization or community requires this level of self-awareness and consciousness of others. This session will explore the five domains of EQ: knowing your own emotions; managing your own emotions; motivating self; recognizing and understanding others’ emotions; and managing relations. In this session you will learn how to identify your own feelings, emotions, and triggers, how to discriminate among them, and use that information to inform your thinking and behavior. You will also gain insight into how to apply these concepts to the greater whole of your organization and community.
Trainers: Juan Lopez, Pamela Miller
204 - Leadership for Organizational Change (B)
Open to 2nd / 3rd / Graduates
In these times of constant change, every true leader recognizes the need for developing organizations that have the capabilities of re-inventing themselves. True leaders are not satisfied with the status quo, and having their organization “survive the times”. True leaders will lead their organizations through change as a way to “thrive the times”. This session will offer you the opportunity to look at the challenges of our world today as opportunities for your organization rather than barriers. You will gain a deeper understanding of the models for organization change; increase your skills in bringing about change positively; deepen your skills in creative problem solving; clarify who you are as a change agent; and develop a plan for bringing about change in your organization.
Trainers: David Jones, Tim Pagano
Round Three (Tuesday 8 hours 9 am – 1 pm and 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
301 - Going Beyond the Standard Staff Report: Using Social Media as a Community Informer and Connector (B) Open to all years
Social media is changing the face of communication in just about every way - most cell phones have video capabilities and YouTube provides an easy outlet for showing them to the world; Facebook spans the globe and is even credited with toppling governments; and Twitter permits sharing of our most intimate life details with hundreds of our “followers”! All of this information sharing can lead to a blurring of our personal lives with our professional ones and to unintended outcomes such as realizing that you have unintentionally become an agency spokesperson or that photo of you taken at a late night party is part of the information available to prospective employers.
On the plus side, these tools offer great opportunities for communicating with our communities in new ways and increasing our ability to reach a more varied demographic. In this session, you will gain a greater understanding of the full impact and influence of these social media tools; gain experience with various social media tools for positive purposes for your agency and community; and begin to think through how to stay on the safe side of the blurry line between your personal and professional lives.
Trainers: Wandzia Rose, Lorie Tinfow
302 - Ethical Leadership: How Committed Are We To Our Values? (A)
Open to all years
When somebody else’s right-versus-wrong decision places you in a right-versus-right dilemma, what would you do? When asked to look the other way, does it matter who is asking or does it matter who it impacts? Is there ever an acceptable exception? These powerful questions are not always easy to answer. Citizens have a longstanding and basic distrust of government agencies and their employees, and it seems this image is perpetuated by the decisions and actions of the few rather than the many (from the local to national level). As a strong ethical leader in the public sector, you must first understand your own worldview, values, and behavioral responses before creating a work environment that fosters ethics and credibility. This session will allow you to gain insight into your worldview, values, and responses. You will also gain an understanding of why others respond they way they do, and how the behavior of others influences your own. You will explore ways to confront ethical dilemmas and deal with them in a thoughtful and meaningful way. We will use case studies, group dialogue, personal reflection, and real situations to explore our level of commitment to our values and those of our organization.
Trainers: Kevin Duggan, Pamela Miller
303 - Using Cultural Competencies and Diversity with Inclusion to Strengthen and Develop Communities (B)
Open to 2nd / 3rd / Graduates
In today’s challenging work environments, job assignments are becoming more flexible and overlapping, and employees are spending more time interacting with one another and with the public. The trend toward more general skills and shared responsibilities means that work is becoming more of a collective activity conducted by groups of people. Since employees are interacting more among themselves and with an increasingly diverse customer/community base, it is vital that they learn to understand, respect, and manage the diversity of their fellow workers and the public at large. As leaders, it is also important for you to lead effectively in this new organizational environment. This session will focus on these issues as well as develop your ability to inspire diverse groups of people to generate and implement their own best ideas. Through deep personal reflection, group dialogue, exercises, and case studies, you will also gain insight into how to: (1) Identify and erase stereotypes and myths about groups; (2) build authentic relationships with members of the different groups in your community in order to broaden your understanding of the issues created by those group differences; (3) examine and learn how to listen for assumptions that drive inaccurate perceptions of others; (4) raise the level of personal and/or group empowerment by stripping away the ways in which we impose limits on ourselves; and (5) increase your comfort and ability to deal with differences as a key factor in enhancing empowerment.
Trainers: Juan Lopez, Stacey McLaughlin
Round Four (Wednesday 4 hours (9 am – 1 pm)
401 - Renaissance Tools for Today’s Problem Solving (B)
Open to all years
We face problems every day and the way we choose to solve them often shapes our lives and impacts others. As today’s world becomes more complex, the issues we face also are more complex. They require a new way of thinking, and new and creative approaches to resolution. No longer can we use the same level of thinking to solve these more complex situations. Drawing from Thinking like Leonardo daVinci, by Michael J. Gelb, this session introduces the principles of da Vincian thought as a basis for deepening and strengthening how we engage life. The principles translate to some readily accessible tools to help approach problem solving more creatively for better results. In this session, you will gain insight into your level of creative thinking and problem solving, and better understand the benefits of unique and creative problem solving. You will gain skills in using this kind of creative thinking and problem solving, and be better equipped to apply these skills to your everyday life.
Trainers: Lorie Tinfow, Maureen Kane
402 - Using Open Space Technology as a Community Engagement and Decision Making Tool (A) Open to all years
The most effective community planning process is one that actually engages the community. Whether they are citizen or organization driven initiatives, as community leaders we are challenged with finding the most effective, productive, and value-added methods for this kind of community engagement. Created in the mid 1980s by organizational consultant Harrison Owens, Open Space Technology (OST) has developed into a highly effective participatory communication and planning process. The fundamental premise of OST is that everyone who participates is passionate about the topic, desires to be a part of the planning process, and is invested in being accountable for the outcome. In this session, you can expect to: (1) Explore the key principles of OST and gain an understanding of its true effectiveness; (2) gain skills in how to effectively facilitate various community stakeholder groups using OST; and (3) learn to create opportunities for breakthroughs.
Trainers: Juan Lopez, Wandzia Rose
403 - Working with Difficult Behaviors, Particularly in Meetings (B)
Open to 1st / 2nd years
This session will begin by identifying the elements of effective and productive meetings. We will also explore your role as a leader and how you can impact the success of the meeting. Because conflict and difficult behaviors are inevitable at meetings, we will identify patterns of difficult behavior, learn techniques to manage them, and practice skills for application in the workplace and at home.
Trainers: Stacey McLaughlin, Tim Pagano
404 - Laying an Egg or Leaving a Legacy: What is Your Legacy? (B)
Open to 2nd / 3rd / Graduates
Leaders are remembered not by what they possessed or consumed, by how much power they had or by whether they were charming or beautiful. Rather, they are remembered by the legacy they leave behind. We become local government leaders, either elected or appointed, with a passion for creating those changes that will benefit our communities and our organizations. We have a dream of leaving positive footprints behind. In order to make dreams come true, we need a clear understanding of who we are - our values, motivations, abilities - and of our desired goals. In this session, you will have the opportunity to work with a variety of models that will help you gain perspective and move forward toward creating your own legacy. You will explore theories of “True Leadership and the Courage to Lead,” and Erik Erikson’s adult stages of adult development (the “Maturity Track” in the Courage to Lead). This session is designed for you to: (1) Deepen your awareness of who you are and what you bring to the world; (2) gain more insights into your leadership beliefs, values and motivations; (3) explore legacies you have already achieved as a person and as a professional; (4) identify your desired legacies that you would like to leave; and (5) begin to formulate an action plan on achieving those legacies.
Trainer: David Jones
Round Five (Wednesday 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
501 - The Green Reality: It’s Not Easy Being Green (A) Open to all years
Local government officials are increasingly being asked to demonstrate creative leadership in a complex fiscal and political atmosphere. Meeting the current legislative environmental requirements, increasing clean and green community expectations and pressure to develop economic vitality during a record setting recession require confidence and creativity. This session will explore the effects of the landmark legislations AB 32 and SB 375 on local governments’ planning and regional cooperation. We will discuss current opportunities to involve and educate elected officials in realistic planning and local green programs. The benefits of creating a green economy element will be explored including the significance of competing for green program recognition and cross- departmental programs. Identifying best practices and community outreach goals will help you to create a personal action list for your agency.
Trainers: Maureen Kane, Dave Wright
502 - Facilitating the Building of Community Through Public Participation in Decision-Making (A) Open to all years
In local government, we pride ourselves in being closer to the public and more responsive to their needs. Yet how do we get out of the traditional and not very effective use of typically confrontational public hearings as the only avenue for public input, an avenue that fails to engage community members in creative problem solving or shared responsibility for the results. In this session, we will explore our thoughts and feelings about the public participation process based on our experiences. We will also explore what else is possible for us as leaders/facilitators and for our stakeholders/participants. Through case studies, group dialogue, exercises, and journaling, we will look at how we can actually embrace this kind of process, create stakeholder commitment, and effectively facilitate the process from the idea stage through completion and follow-up using creative techniques. You will also create action plans to engage your community and stakeholders in the decision-making processes, strategic planning, goal setting, execution, and the management and accountability of outcomes.
Trainers: Pamela Miller, Lorie Tinfow
503 - Developing and Leading Effective Teams (B) Open to all years
Why are some teams dynamic and highly effective? What are the critical elements of high performance teams? And, how come some teams can’t seem to get out of the starting gate? Are there skills that successful team leaders and members have that others don’t? This session will explore ideas and look at what influences group dynamics, the stages of team development, and how communication impacts team effectiveness. We will learn how to embrace and empower differences, and explore how to effectively manage and work through team conflicts. We will also discover ways to create and sustain an environment supportive of teamwork and productivity, and deepen our capacity as leaders develop, motivate, and energize teams.
Trainers: Juan Lopez, Tim Pagano
504 - Communicating and Connecting With Others: the Key to Successful Leadership (A) Open to 2nd / 3rd/ Graduates
If you are ready to be an effective leader, then you are ready to risk making a positive difference in your world and in the world of others. One of the ways to do that is to deepen your abilities to communicate and connect with other people. During this time of transition, we need to connect across the differences that divide us. We need to be able to connect by building bonds of openness and authenticity, understanding and support, and compassion for others and ourselves. In this session, you will explore the level of trust you have in yourself and in others. You will increase your willingness for and ability in dialoguing with people with whom you have major differences (as well as those with whom you agree). You will deepen your skills in connecting with yourself and others through active listening, reflecting, and understanding compassion. You will experience the joy of connecting and bonding with yourself and others, and how to utilize your insights from those experiences in your personal and professional relationships.
Trainers: David Jones, Stacey McLaughlin
Round Six (Thursday 8 hours 9 am – 1 pm and 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
601 - Life's Lessons: Living Life to the Fullest (B) Open to all years
At some point each of us has asked the question, "Is this really how I want to live my life? " Life is short and we often see only in hindsight what really matters. This session will focus on the lessons you need to learn so that you can live life to its fullest in every moment. You will look at a variety of outcomes from lessons in life that help you to work on getting rid of negativity and finding the best in yourself and others. Some of the lessons explored in this session are: authenticity, relationships, play, creativity, forgiveness, and time. The session will use work from "Life Lessons" by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler, through assessments, individual and group exercises and creativity. You will also revisit earlier life experiences to explore how those experiences impact the lessons you've learned and who you are today.
Trainers: Stacey McLaughlin, Lorie Tinfow
602 - Leadership Integrity: Unlocking our Abilities to Lead in Difficult Times (B) Open to all years
When times are difficult, options become fewer. Making the right choices becomes critically important. In this session, we will explore the relationship between integrity, wisdom and personal power- the essential ingredients of True Leadership. We will discover what integrity means for each of us through the lens of our individual and collective journeys. We will unlock our wisdom and unleash our personal power. And, we will identify and begin to remove our personal barriers that keep us from fully accepting and honoring our unique gifts and contributions. By the end of our work together, we will experience peace of mind, a deeper sense of unconditional self-acceptance and the courage to choose correct options-all of which will enable us to be the leaders we were meant to be in the places in the world that need us more now than ever before.
Trainers: David Jones, Wandzia Rose
603 - Becoming the Leader You Have Been Waiting For
(B) Open to 2nd / 3rd / Graduates
These are challenging times to be in local government – citizens are frustrated, employees are becoming increasingly demoralized, managers are exhausted and the budget problems are never ending. Historically, in times of great chaos there were times when it all seemed like a purpose or a vision was impossible to find. It is during these times of distress that somehow, someway, a leader or leaders emerged, (Gandhi, FDR, Hillary Clinton, Lincoln, Churchill, Mandela, King, Zapata, Eleanor Roosevelt, and so many more). In doing so, they made a difference that changed the course of events. When it comes to leadership there are defining moments, big and small. What is most important is that when it is your moment, you act, instead of waiting for some other leader to show up. This is the time when you become the leader that you have been waiting for.
In this session, we’ll dive deep into what holds us back internally and externally. We’ll examine those situations where we experienced success and failure to see if a pattern (positive or negative) can be discovered that will unlock our freedom to act. We will explore what it means to live into our full potential, and how that makes a difference in the world. Through this session you will gain a greater understanding of the gifts you have to offer as a leader, and you will be empowered to be the leader you have been waiting for.
Trainers: Juan Lopez, Pamela Miller